Spain Day 03a-Reina Sophia and Gran Via

 On day three we started with a walk to the Reina Sophia. Along the way we passed by the new Madrid town hall offices in the Cybele Palace, on the right. It was used as the main post office, telegraph, and telecommunications center. In 2007 City hall operated out of here after some renovations and expansion.

The Reina Sophia, or Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Renia Sophia, is THE art museum of 20th century Spanish art and one of the best of its type in the world. The building was built as a hospital in 1805 but was turned into an art museum in 1986. Its premiere art is by Salvador Dali and Picasso. There were also no pictures allowed on the level where the better known artists were hanging. The main item we came to see was Picasso's Guernica, about the Nazi bombing of the Spanish Basque town of Guernica on the 26th of April 1937. It was bombed because of its support of the Republican faction and General Franco wanted it punished. It was bombed for two hours and the majority of the wounded and dead were civilians. Picasso was commissioned at the start of 1937, by the Spanish Republic, for their display at the Paris world's fair of 1937. It was not until the bombing of Guernica that he found his inspiration. It is an incredibly evocative mural and when looked at for any length of time the emotions placed in the painting become part of you. 

The Dali and Picasso items on display were also interesting but the clear majority of the other art on display did not interest nor move my wife and I. It was clearly organized by genre and movement, then sub-movements. For 20th century modern art lovers, this establishment should be on your list. This museum's entrance was bought on a three art museum ticket, called the Art Walk, which gives you a 20% off compared to the price of buying the tickets individually. The advance tickets also permit you to skip the line of people buying tickets.

We had a quick snack at one establishment and proceeded to walk to our next destination. We passed by one Canadian icon and they looked to have much better donuts and coffee selections than back home, but we did not step inside.

Our walk down the Gran Via was marvelous. It was completed in 1929 as part of a new thoroughfare and features architecture from that time period. It also has many luxury shops and special restaurants mixed with generic ones.